carrom

Could you please comment and offer advice on our (young at heart middle-aged couple)planned itinerary in Sri Lanka. We will arrive in Colombo on 30th October but are quite flexible with return dates and can add a night here or there if necessary. We don’t mind long drives and changing hotels often. We are interested in scenery, history, wildlife, good food, un-crowded beaches .
We will leave for our itinerary after 5 nights in Colombo.
Day 1 - Train to Kandy (have heard there is a special 1st class carriage with amazing windows). Stay at either Richmond House, Manor House or Queen’s Hotel - 2 nights. Rent a car. Is driver highly recommended?
Day 2 - Visit Matale return to Kandy.
Day 3 - Visit Peradenyia botanical garden, drive to Nuwara Eliya overnight Grand Hotel / St Andrew’s Hotel?
Day 4 – Horton Plains National Park– World’s End - overnight either in Bandarawela or Ella. Is this do-able or do we need another night close to the park?
Day 5 – Drive to Yala National Park stay in tented safari camp 1 night/2 days
Day 6 – Drive to Tangalle – Buckingham Place Hotel? 2-3 nights
Drive to Galle – 1 night in town
+ 2 more nights in another beach location preferably N of Galle . Suggestions please.
Fly back home from Colombo
Thanks!

Kathie

Getting a driver is highly recommended.

The drives from place to place are often long as roads are narrow and winding. So when you say you have 1 night and two days in Yala, you are fooling yourself. I'd say you need two nights at Yala to make it worthwhile.

Sorry, I can't help with any of those hotels.

carrom

Thanks Kathie, but the Tented Camp in Yala picks you up at 12 am on day 1, you go for the evening safari and then you have to leave after the morning safari on day 2. So I thought there wouldn't be much point staying 2 nights. Aside from the expense. Am I wrong?

Kathie

Well, you might read Femi's report, as she did a Sri Lanka trip with an emphasis on wildlife. Yala is a long way from other places, so all of that driving for a mere one night seems like a waste to me, but if you are satisfied with just two drives, it's your trip. Indeed, as I look at your itinerary, I note that most of your stays are one night. That means that you'll drive for probably 2-4 hours each day to get to a place and spend just one night. For me that would be too high a proportion of drive time to being in the place I wanted to be time.

There are quite a number of Sri Lanka trip reports here. Do read some of them. Each of us has had a different emphasis. We are very interested in the historic Buddhist sites, and spent a good amount of time in the cultural triangle.

And is there a reason you are spending 5 nights in Colombo? Any chance you might distribute your time from Colombo so you can see more of the country? It sounds like you have almost two weeks, you could get a real taste of the country in that time, without moving every day.

thursdaysd

Yes, why are you spending five nights in Colombo? I had a serious personal reason for spending time there, and even I thought one night was enough.

I also agree that you seem to be be moving far too fast.

crellston

Totally agree with the previous comments re Columbo. Unless there is a particular reason for being there I would spend the minimum time possible there as I found it to be one of the least inspiring cities in Asia.

The train rides in the country are spectacular but don't expect too much of first class - the windows are marginally bigger thena 2nd but are certainly not amazing. click onmy screen name and it will take you to my trip report (unfinished!) from last year which included 2 train rides.

I would say that it is definitely advisable to hire a driver guide for most of your time there.

You seem to be missing out on some of the most spectacular and famous sights in the country such as the Cultural triangle - Sirigiya, Polunuwara,Dambulla etc. any particular reason for this?

Tangalle has some nice beaches around. Don't know the hotel you mention but we moved on from Tangalle to Goyambokka a small village just outside which had a fantastic & quiet beach & some decent restaurants. Merissa was also a nice place for the beach. The beaches closer to Columbo, although more well know were just too busy and commercialised for my taste.

I would say that Galle is worth a couple of nights rather than just the one.

Although not the greatest place in SL, I would suggest spending your last nights in Negombo as it is very close to the airport. The journey from Galle or, indeed, anywhere south of Columbo is horrendous. I think it took us around 7 hours (& the aircon broke along the way.

Can't comment on Yala as we didn't make it there as all accomodation in the areas was booked solid.

Some tour operators have some pre-defined itineraries which make a good base for planning even if you don't use them Boutique Sri lanka and Reddot spring to mind.

carrom

Thanks all for very useful comments. I see we are rushing around too much and will try to redistribute our time. Unfortunately Google won't give me driving times or distances for some reason.
We have a very good reason for spending 5 nights in Colombo as we are taking part in the World Carrom Championships hosted by the Sri Lankan Federation at Galadari Hotel. We are part of the Italian team!
It is not our first time in Sri Lanka and we are skipping the cultural triangle as my husband has been before.
I've read some trip reports and they are what prompted me to choose the Hill Country and Yala. I will reschedule and revise my itinerary and see what you all think.
Thanks!

Kathie

I believe that Red Dot (an agency) has an online tool to tell you how long the drives are between various places.

Kathie

PS Good luck in the Carrom championships!

crellston

Carrom? - well there's a game I had never heard of before! Sounds like fun!

carrom

Thanks! Carrom is a great game - easier to spot in Nepal, Maldives and Sri Lanka but played by practically everyone in India, and growing fast in Europe and US!
Anyway i am trying to revise my itinerary, and would like to ask you if this looks more sensible:
Spend one night in Kandy - leave next day for Nuwara Eliya visiting botanical gardens on the way. Spend 2 nights in NE. Leave early morning for Horton Plains and do the 9km trek. Drive to Bandarawela for the night (in order not to backtrack - any other place suggested for stopover?).
Drive to Tissa, stay one night in Chaaya Wild and one night in tented camp inside Yala. Drive to Tangalle - 3 nights on beach - 2 nights Galle - drive to Colombo for late evening flight home.
I know there are long drives but if we have driver we'll just be looking out of the windows. Another thing, what happens to the driver and car when we are in Tangalle on the beach for 3 days?
Have been using Red Dot - v good!
Thanks

annhig

hi carrom,

we have been planning a trip to Sri Lanka at end of Sept/early oct, and we ended up going with boutique Sri Lanka. http://boutiquesrilanka.com/

very good hotel descriptions plus loads of info about the various areas and what to do there.

a great resource, even if you book yourself or with someone else.

re the driver, what the driver does is to drive you when you want to go places. so if you are in Tangalle and want to go somewhere for lunch, he takes you! and are you really going to spend 2 whole days on the beach doing nothing?

have a great trip!

carrom

Thanks for the link. In Tangalle I thought we might rent a moped..

annhig

In Tangalle I thought we might rent a moped..>>


can't help you there. perhaps people who have been there can tell you if this is a good idea.

thursdaysd

Have you driven a moped elsewhere? Are you willing to drive one without a helmet? Are you aware that such activity is a leading cause of tourist injury?

In any case, if you have a car and driver, why would you want a moped? You can walk the beach area and drive to other areas.

crellston

"In Tangalle I thought we might rent a moped" - No, it is definitely a NOT good idea! I am an experienced motorcyclist and ride a motorbike regularly at home and I would not dream of riding in SL.

Without experience, full protective gear (inc. a proper helmet) and the appalling driving standards endemic in the country, it is asking for trouble. Coming off a motorbike with all the gear, even at low speed, will ruin your holiday. Without the correct gear it is something akin to sliding down a giant cheese-grater naked!

annhig

that would be a no then.

carrom

We live in Rome where life without a scooter is unimagineable. And traffic conditions are pretty bad...having said that I do appreciate your comments. I just imagined Tangalle and surroundings would be nothing like driving in Colombo or Delhi. We have hired mopeds in Philippines, Thailand and most European islands, always with helmets! But maybe we'll stick to tuk tuks this time. Thanks!

crellston

I am impressed - if you can manage in Rome on a scooter, then I am sure you can cope with Tangalle drivers!! At least they don't intentionally try to kill you there!!

The traffic in and around Tangalle is nowhere near as bad as Columbo or Delhi excepet in the centre of town. The coast road is the worst, due mainly to the lunatic bus and lorry drivers that ply the route to and from Columbo where we saw quite a few accidents along the way.

carrom

By the way I really enjoyed your trip report crellston. It's been very useful. We are now thinking of taking the train to Kandy staying in the centre of town and then taking another train to Nuwara Eliya and being met by a driver there. I know the stations don't really match up but we can take taxis.
Does anyone know if you can drive into Horton plains from Nuwara Eliya and drive out the other side to Bandarawela without having to backtrack? With a 4WD?
Thanks